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Packaged Terminal Air 

Conditioners and Heat Pumps 

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975 

prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer 

products and commercial and industrial equipment, and requires 

the Department of Energy (DOE) to administer an energy 

conservation program for these products. EPCA, as amended, 

provides DOE the authority to establish energy conservation 

standard for certain commercial equipment covered by the 

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning 

Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Illuminating Engineerings Society of 

North America (IESNA) Standard 90.1, including packaged 

terminal air conditioners (PTACs) and packaged terminal heat 

pumps (PTHPs). (42 U.S.C. 6113(a)(6)9A)) Section 342(a)(6)(A) 

provides that the DOE may prescribe a standard more stringent 

than the level in ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, after ASHRAE 

amends the energy conservation standards found in 

ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, if DOE can demonstrate "by clear 

and convincing evidence" that such a more stringent standard 

"would result in significant additional conservation of energy and 

is technologically feasible and economically justified." 

DOE's, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 

Building Technologies Program conducts the program that 

develops energy conservation standards for consumer products 

and commercial equipment. This office has the overall 

responsibility for rulemaking activities for PTACs and PTHPs in 

fulfillment of the law. The rulemaking activities for these 

products, both past and present, are presented below. 

The following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. 

Download Adobe Reader. 

Energy Conservation Standard Rulemaking 

z Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

Previous Federal Register Notices 

z Energy Conservation Program for Certain Commercial and 

Industrial Equipment: Efficiency Standards for Commercial 

Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Water Heating Equipment, 

Federal Register, March 7, 2007 (PDF 1.2 MB) 

z Energy Efficiency Program for Commercial and Industrial 

Equipment: Efficiency Standards for Commercial Heating, 

Air-Conditioning and Water Heating Equipment, Federal 

Register, March 13, 2006 (PDF 311 KB) 

z Final Rule: Energy Efficiency Program for Certain 

Commercial and Industrial Equipment: Test Procedures and

Efficiency Standards for Commercial Warm Air Furnaces: 

Appliances & Commercial Equipment Standards: Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Page 1 of 2

http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/commercial/packaged_ac_hp.html 4/8/2008

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0012 COMMENT 01
General Provisions for Commercial Heating, Air 

Conditioning and Water Heating Equipment; Energy 

Efficiency Provisions for Electric Motors, Federal Register, 

October 21, 2004, (PDF 359 KB) 

z Final Rule: Energy Efficiency Program for Commercial and 

Industrial Equipment: Efficiency Standards for Commercial 

Heating, Air Conditioning and Water Heating Equipment, 

Federal Register, January 12, 2001 (PDF 616 KB) 

z Energy Conservation Program for Certain Commercial and 

Industrial Equipment: Efficiency Standards for Commercial 

Heating, Air Conditioning and Water Heating Equipment: 

Notice of Preliminary Screening Analysis, Federal Register, 

March 1, 2000 (PDF 143 KB) 

Contact Information 

Wes Anderson

Project Manager for PTAC/PTHP Equipment 

(202)586-7335 

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EERE-2007-BT-STD-0012 COMMENT 01
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Packaged Terminal Air 

Conditioners and Heat Pumps 

Energy Conservation Standard 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended, 

provides the Department of Energy (DOE) the authority to 

establish energy conservation standards for certain commercial 

equipment covered by the American Society of Heating, 

Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the 

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) 

Standard 90.1, including packaged terminal air conditioners 

(PTACs) and packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs). (42 U.S.C. 

6313(a)(6)(A)) Section 342(a)(6)(A) provides that DOE may 

prescribe a standard more stringent than the level in 

ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, after ASHRAE amends the energy 

conservation standards found in ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, if

DOE can demonstrate "by clear and convincing evidence," that 

such a more stringent standard "would result in significant 

additional conservation of energy and is technologically feasible 

and economically justified." (42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(A)(II) At this 

time, DOE is proposing to amend the energy conservation 

standards for PTACs and PTHPs by raising the efficiency levels for 

this equipment to the levels above the efficiency levels specified 

by ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999 in accordance with these 

criteria and further described in the notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NOPR). The proposed standards would apply to all 

covered PTACs and PTHPs manufactured on or after the date four 

years after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. 

(42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(D)) 

The NOPR is the first stage of the overall standards rulemaking 

process for PTACs and PTHPs and will be followed by a Final Rule.

At the NOPR stage, DOE presents the proposed standard levels 

and all the rulemaking analyses, including the engineering 

analysis, the life-cycle cost analysis, the national impact analysis,

the environmental impact analysis, the utility impact analysis, 

and the regulatory impact analysis. Stakeholders are invited to 

review the NOPR documents and the analytical tools, attend the 

public meetings, and submit comments on the analysis and 

proposed standard levels. 

DOE's comment period for the PTAC and PTHP NOPR stage of the 

rulemaking analysis is open until 4 pm EDT on May 31, 2008. 

Some of the following documents are available as Adobe Acrobat 

PDFs. Download Adobe Reader. 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

z The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for PTACs and PTHPs as

issued and submitted to the Federal Register. The version 

to be published in the Federal Register will contain 

Appliances & Commercial Equipment Standards: Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps... Page 1 of 2

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EERE-2007-BT-STD-0012 COMMENT 01
formatting changes, and will be the official version of the 

notice. (PDF 1.2 MB) 

z NOPR Public Meeting

z NOPR Technical Support Document and Appendices

z NOPR Analytical Spreadsheet Tools 

Comments 

All comments submitted must identify the Packaged Terminal Air 

Conditioner and Heat Pump Rulemaking, the docket number, and 

regulatory identifier number (RIN). 

z Energy Conservation Standard Rulemaking for Packaged 

Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps: Docket Number

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0012 and Regulatory Identifier Number

(RIN) 1904-AB44. 

Comments may be submitted using any of the following methods:

z Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 

Follow the instructions for submitting comments. 

z E-mail message to address specific rulemaking activity: 

Energy conservation standard rule: ptac_hp@ee.doe.gov. 

Please be sure to include the docket number and/or RIN 

number in the subject line of the message. 

z Postal Mail: 

Mrs. Brenda Edwards 

U.S. Department of Energy 

Building Technologies Program 

1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Mailstop EE-2J 

Washington, DC 20585-0121 

Please include one signed original. 

z Hand Delivery or Courier: 

Mrs. Brenda Edwards 

U.S. Department of Energy 

Building Technologies Program 

950 L'Enfant Plaza, 6th Floor 

Washington, DC 20024 

Telephone: (202) 586-2945 

Please include one signed original. 

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Packaged Terminal Air 

Conditioners and Heat Pumps 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

(NOPR) Public Meeting 

Purpose: The Department of Energy (the Department) will hold 

an informal public meeting that will cover the NOPR for Packaged 

Terminal Air Conditioners and Packaged Terminal Heat Pumps. 

This meeting will give the Department an opportunity to present 

its proposals in the NOPR, discuss the analyses prepared and to 

respond to stakeholder concerns and to seek input from 

stakeholder on planned methodologies, assumptions and data 

sources. The comment period for the NOPR stage of the 

rulemaking analysis is open until 4 pm on May 31, 2008. 

Request to Speak 

The Department must receive requests to speak at the public 

meeting before 4:00p.m. on April 21, 2008. Please submit a 

signed original and an electronic copy of statements to be given. 

Comments 

All comments submitted must identify the Packaged Terminal Air 

Conditioner and Heat Pump Rulemaking, the docket number, and 

regulatory identifier number (RIN). 

z Energy Conservation Standard Rulemaking for Packaged 

Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps: Docket Number

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0012 and Regulatory Identifier Number

(RIN) 1904-AB44. 

Comments may be submitted using any of the following methods:

z Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 

Follow the instructions for submitting comments. 

z E-mail message to address specific rulemaking activity: 

Energy conservation standard rule: ptac_hp@ee.doe.gov. 

Please be sure to include the docket number and/or RIN 

number in the subject line of the message. 

z Postal Mail: 

Mrs. Brenda Edwards 

U.S. Department of Energy 

DATE: May 1, 2008 

TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EDT 

LOCATION: U.S. Department of Energy 

1000 Independence Avenue 

SW 

Room 1E-245 

Washington, DC 20585 

Appliance Standards - Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps - NOPR Public Meeting Page 1 of 2

http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/commercial/ptacs_pthps_nopr_meeting.html 4/8/2008

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0012 COMMENT 01
Building Technologies Program 

1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Mailstop EE-2J 

Washington, DC 20585-0121 

Please include one signed original. 

z Hand Delivery or Courier: 

Mrs. Brenda Edwards 

U.S. Department of Energy 

Building Technologies Program 

950 L'Enfant Plaza, 6th Floor 

Washington, DC 20024 

Telephone: (202) 586-2945 

Please include one signed original. 

Printable Version

Webmaster | Security & Privacy | Building Technologies Program Home | EERE Home

U.S. Department of Energy 

Content Last Updated: 04/01/2008 

Appliance Standards - Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps - NOPR Public Meeting Page 2 of 2

http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/commercial/ptacs_pthps_nopr_meeting.html 4/8/2008

EERE-2007-BT-STD-0012 COMMENT 01